Removing Dudley From The Equation - Year 6
by Luiz4200
Summary: Sixth year of my Removing Dudley from the Equation series. RDFTE for short.
1. Lessons

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any book or character from the series.**

 **Removing Dudley From the Equation – Year 6**

 **Chapter 1: Lessons**

Vernon Dursley was showing his adopted son Harry how to drive. Of course, Harry still didn't even have a learner's permit so Vernon did all the driving while Harry watched from the other front seat to have a grasp on how to drive. "Well, son, I hope you paid attention because we're going home now."

"Yes, Dad." Harry eagerly replied.

Back at their home at Number Four, Privet Drive, Petunia Dursley was baking cookies for when her husband and her nephew/foster son came back home when she heard the doorbell. _"That's odd." She thought. "I'm not expecting visitors and Vernon and Harry wouldn't ring the bell."_ "Who's there?" She asked.

"It's Sirius, Petunia." Sirius replied. She opened the door for him. "Sorry I can't welcome you better but I'm in the middle of baking cookies."

"Apology accepted, Petunia." Sirius said. "Where's Prongslet?"

"Vernon took him somewhere to show how to drive a car." She explained.

"Cool!" He exclaimed. "Next time I show him how to drive a motorcycle!"

Petunia frowned. "Sirius Orion Black, you will NOT teach him how to drive those monstrosities until he becomes an adult and, for whatever reason, decides he wants to learn. Besides, shouldn't you be worried about the fact Harry will start the year he's taught how to apparate?"

"You're right, Petunia!" Sirius was excited at the idea. "It's an important step at a wizard's education."

"Is it that odd for a wizard not to learn how to apparate on their own, Sirius?" Petunia asked out of concern for Harry's future.

"That alone is not a big deal since every wizard can use the floo, portkeys or the Knight Bus but Prongslet has a lot to live up to, Petunia." Sirius explained.

Petunia shuddered at the alternate methods of magical transportation and now really hoped that Harry learned how to apparate. Her musings were interrupted by Vernon and Harry returning. "Sirius Black, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Vernon asked while trying not to sound disgusted at the word 'pleasure'.

"I came to see my godson, Vernon." Sirius explained. "It's been so long after the last time."

"It wasn't that much time, Sirius." Harry said.

"It hasn't been even one week." Vernon furiously replied.

"I know but this isn't a regular summer, Vernon." Sirius argued. "Prongslet is about to start his N.E.W.T.-level lessons and needs my guiding for them. Especially in apparating and potions."

"Potions?" Petunia hopefully asked. "Did you finally find a way to get rid of Snape?"

"Unfortunately not but I still can help by giving hints on the potions Professor Slughorn used to require N.E.W.T.-level students to brew back when he was Hogwarts' Potions Master, Petunia." Sirius explained.

"Wouldn't Snape require harder potions given how he is?" Vernon asked in worry. Severus Snape was the biggest objection the Dursleys had about Hogwarts.

"Probably not since the potions Professor Slughorn used to teach at this level are already hard but my hints are useful outside the classroom." Sirius replied while cringing at the idea of having to brew more difficult potions than those he had to during his time.

It was during times like those that Vernon and Petunia were glad to have Sirius Black around. Sirius Black might be upset at Harry seeing them as his parents but he knew about the magical subjects Harry needed to learn. "At least the curse on the Defense post is broken and you can still be at Hogwarts to keep an eye on Professor Snivellus." Vernon commented.

"We just found a way to neutralize it until it can be broken for good but I see your point, Vernon." Sirius corrected him.

"Sirius, I've heard about something called side-along apparition." Harry commented. "What's it?"

"Side-along apparition is when someone making apparition takes someone else with them, Prongslet." Sirius answered. "The someone else is side-along apparating. I can give you a demonstration."

"Wait a minute!" Petunia demanded. "I know wizards and witches are required licenses to apparate. Did you already get one after leaving prison?"

"Petunia, I'll let you know I remember everything one needs to know about apparating." Sirius replied like he's offended by Petunia's question.

"You didn't answer her question, Black." Vernon replied. Sirius' hesitation made Harry believe his parents were right to be worried.

 **End chapter.**


	2. Only One Year

**Chapter 2: Only One Year**

After Sirius Black took (and passed) the test to renew his long-expired license to apparate, he eagerly demonstrated it to his godson. His biggest pleasure, however, was scaring his godson's (adoptive) parents. "Won't you rather do it somewhere there's no risk of the neighbors see it, Sirius?" Vernon asked while grunting.

"Afraid of what they'd think if they saw, Dursley?" Sirius teasingly asked.

"Afraid of what the Office of Improper Use of Magic will think if the Statute of Secrecy is violated." Vernon answered. "I still remember the early days when they automatically blamed Harry for every magic done at Privet Drive regardless of who did it."

"Thankfully Madam Hopkirk understood that Harry may receive magical visitors and not all of them are underage." Petunia added.

"Unless maturity is taken in consideration." Vernon added and Sirius laughed at the joke.

"So, now that I've proven my ability to apparate, are you ready to side-along do it with me, Prongslet?" Sirius eagerly asked.

"Okay, Sirius." Harry replied.

"If Harry doesn't survive this, you'll wish you won't either." Petunia threatened.

After Sirius takes Harry to a spot with no muggles to see them, he disapparates with his godson to the front of a wizarding home. "Are we visiting someone, Sirius?" Harry asked out of mild curiosity.

"Professor Horace Slughorn, Prongslet." Sirius replied and then they knocked on the door. "Hello!" Slughorn was happy to see the boy-who-lived at his door. "How's my favorite student doing?"

"I'm doing fine, Professor." Sirius replied while ignoring the fact Horace was staring at Harry.

"I wasn't talking to you, Sirius." Slughorn explained.

"But you were probably talking about me, since Harry and I couldn't expect to know about anybody else." Sirius argued.

"I could be asking about Harry Potter." Slughorn replied.

"But he never was your student." Sirius said.

"Indirectly he was." Slughorn would use any excuse to claim Harry Potter as his student. "He's learning Potions from Severus Snape, who learned from me."

"You didn't teach him to teach, Slughorn." Sirius complained. "You'd better return or at least give Harry some hints."

"Wonderful!" Slughorn exclaimed. "Harry, have you ever tried to brew a batch of the Draught of the Living Death?"

Remembering that he's no longer a Hogwarts student and that Professor Slughorn no longer had the authority to dock points from Gryffindor, Sirius Black allowed himself to sleep because of the boredom the extracurricular potion lesson turned out to be. "Sirius Orion Black, you're setting a bad example for your godson." Professor Slughorn scolded his former student.

After the lesson, Sirius Black took Harry home. Sirius's home. "Prongslet, as you must remember, you're barely more than one year away from becoming an adult to the Wizarding World and thus allowed to leave the Dursleys." Sirius said and Harry frowned. "I know. I know. You like them like they're your parents and I'm not preventing you from visiting them whenever you like but you must understand Wizarding Law will treat you like an adult for any legal matter and you'll finally be allowed to use magic without having to worry about that stupid decree restricting underage magic."

Harry nodded.

"That's why I must teach you everything I can until then." Sirius explained. "By the way, Prongslet, have you already received the list of materials you'll need for your sixth year as a Hogwarts student?"

"No." Harry answered.

"Odd." Sirius commented. "Without the need to replace any faculty members, the list should have arrived sooner this year." Right after he said that, an owl dropped him the list.

"Told you." Sirius replied.

"May I see it?" Slughorn asked. "I want to see if Severus is requiring anything from sixth-year students I didn't back when I was a teacher."

Harry gave Slughorn the list. "No." Slughorn commented. "He requires "Advanced Potion Making" just like I did."

"Good." Sirius commented. "Snivelly is already too much of a bully without using a harder book. Now, if you don't mind, Harry and I have some books to buy."

 **End chapter.**


	3. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes

**Chapter 3: Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes**

Harry and his parents were invited to a special tour through the Weasley Twins' joke shop Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes by his godfather Sirius Orion Black. Since it was Sirius' initial investment that allowed the twins to start their shop and Harry was the twins' friend, they wouldn't say 'no'. "Thanks for inviting us, Sirius." Harry said.

"It's a pleasure, Prongslet." Sirius replied with a malicious smile. _'No matter how much the Dursleys act like they're no longer the magic-hating bigots I remember from my pre-Azkaban days, there's no way the Marauder wannabes' extravagance won't be too much for them. Their furious reactions will be so fun.'_

At the shop, Petunia quickly spotted something that caught her attention and disapproval. "Love potions?" She asked in disgust. "How can people be allowed to sell this kind of thing?"

"These don't last long enough to be a threat, Mrs. Dursley." One of the twins quickly assured.

"Long-term ones like Amortentia are what people must be on the lookout for." The other added. "Especially Harry now that he's close to becoming an adult in the Wizarding World and there'll be several girls trying to get him. He'd better get a girlfriend soon."

"That won't be a problem for my boy." Vernon proudly stated and then glared at the twins. "You'd better be careful about who you sell these potions to." He then calmed down. "Now that we got past that, I'm curious about the puking pastilles I read from one of Harry's letters."

"Wanting to skip work, Mr. Dursley?" One of the twins maliciously asked.

"Not that we blame you since our investor said you live of one of the most boring jobs a muggle could get." The other added, causing Harry and the Dursleys to glare at him.

"What?" Sirius said defensively. "The only thing more boring than listening about Vernon Dursley's job being described is a history lesson from Binns."

Vernon decided to ignore Sirius. "Actually, I'm curious about the purple half. Does it cure just the effects of the orange one or is it useful against other illnesses?"

"Brother, I believe we've been given a lot to think about."

"I agree with you, dear brother."

"Thank you!" The two of them said.

The other Weasleys then joined them for the conversation. Arthur Weasley had a box labeled "Muggle Magic" and that box had a picture of a man dressed like a magician. "Oh! Hello, Vernon!" Arthur eagerly greeted Mr. Dursley. "I've just got this muggle magic box. Do you mind helping me understand how it works?"

"Well, I've never been particularly interested in illusionism but I believe I'll be able to help." Vernon uneasily replied.

"Illusionism?" Mr. Weasley asked in confusion.

"That's how muggle magic is called by muggles who acknowledge that it's not real magic, Dad." One of the twins explained.

"To play it safe, you'd better use that term whenever you speak of muggle magic in the presence of muggles who don't know about the Wizarding World." The other suggested.

"That's true, Arthur." Vernon confirmed. "Magicians are becoming known as illusionists because of that."

Ronald Weasley hoped to get a big discount for the joke items he intended to buy because his brothers Fred and George (or was it Gred and Forge?) owned the business but he only got a few knuts. He'd probably use coarse language if he didn't remember his mother was there. "Can't I at least get some real discount on the puking pastilles?" Ron pleaded. "I want to get out of potions."

"RONALD WEASLEY, YOU ARE NOT USING THOSE THINGS TO SKIP LESSONS!" His mother bellowed in anger.

"It'd be a bad idea using those things to trick Severus Snape." Petunia suggested. "He'd probably give you a detention without knowing or even caring if the vomits were your fault or not."

"True that." A twin commented.

"It'd explain why the demand for Skiving Snackboxes isn't as high as expected." The other added.

"We still could spike Snape's drinks with the sickening side of those snacks." Ron suggested.

"Lousy teacher or not, Snivellus is good enough of a Potions Master to notice anything wrong with his tea or whatever else he drinks and won't fall for that." Sirius replied. "Just keep honing your skills as a Keeper. You don't want to lose your post. Especially to a jerk like McLaggen."

The twins shuddered at the idea. They had bad memories from the time Cormac McLaggen was in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. In honor to those times, they spend a good part of their last school term using McLaggen as a test subject for their products. Without asking for his permission, of course.

"Professor Black, does Professor Lupin still have that boggart?" Ron asked. "I'd like to know what Snape's biggest fear is."

"I bet it's mirrors." Harry suggested. "I would be afraid of them if I were that ugly."

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha." Sirius laughed. "Good one, Prongslet!"

"Sirius Orion Black!" Molly Weasley exclaimed. "You're a Professor and must set an example for students!"

"What did you expect?" Sirius dismissively asked. "I am not _such_ a good Professor as Remus Lupin."

' _Will he ever grow tired of that joke?' Harry thought._

"Either way, Mr. Dursley," One twin said.

"If you want some prank item," The other added.

"I'll get it at the muggle world for sake of the Statute of Secrecy." Vernon flatly stated.

"Fair enough." The twins said. Pranksters as they are, they took the Statute of Secrecy seriously.

"I still think Fred and George should work for the Ministry." Molly sternly said.

"In a way, we are." A twin said.

"The Ministry buys some of our products just in case Death Eaters cause trouble." The other added.

"Not that there's a high demand since, fortunately, Voldemort isn't around." Sirius commented.

"Don't say that name!" Several characters shouted.

"Sheesh." Sirius snorted. "For people who aren't Moony, you're _such_ a bunch of scared cats."

"You only said that crazy man's name to have another excuse to say 'such'." Vernon accused Sirius.

"Do you really think I'd do that?" Sirius asked and everyone else said "Yes."

 **End chapter.**


	4. The Sixth Year Starts

**Chapter 4: The Sixth Year Starts**

Sirius Black was at his home pondering about last day's visit. "I cannot believe it ended up like that!" Sirius exclaimed in frustration.

"What can't you believe, Padfoot?" Remus Lupin asked him.

"I took Harry and the Dursleys to a tour through Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes yesterday, Moony." Sirius sadly told his fellow Marauder.

"What happened then, Padfoot?" Remus asked out of worry that the twins' antics drove Vernon and Petunia back into the magic haters he remembered from the days James was alive.

"The Dursleys actually got along with the twins!" Sirius moaned. "That wasn't supposed to happen, Moony! They should have dropped the tolerant façade and made Prongslet stop seeing them as his parents."

Remus was furious at what he heard. "You know what, Sirius? I bet it's not even longer because of things like Harry seeing them as his parents or the fact that he'd rather live with them than with you. It's about the fact they've been outwitting you every time."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Moony." Sirius sounded shocked.

"Vernon won that bet over who's the Defense Teacher who required Lockhart's books." Remus explained.

"They were lucky I forgot to think things through that time." Sirius protested.

"They figured out Gwenog Jones gave that autographed photo because of Harry and not because of you." Remus argued.

"Who told you?" Sirius loudly asked.

"You did it right now." Remus answered with a smile. "Cheer up, Sirius. We can see Prongslet take the Hogwarts Express."

"And, as Hogwarts' Defense Teacher, I'll be sure those slimy snakes won't do anything to Prongslet during their journey." Sirius declared.

"What?" Remus asked in amusement. "Do you think Draco Malfoy will break Harry's nose or something like that?"

"Knowing the Malfoy brat, he'd rather order Crabbe and Goyle to do this for him, Moony."

"What a fertile imagination, Padfoot." Remus commented.

A few days later, Harry and his friends are at the train. As a Prefect, Harry had the duty to patrol the train. "Be ready to catch those snakes, Harry!" Ron asked.

"Isn't Professor Black riding the train as well, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"He's supervising the Slytherin Prefects, Hermione." Harry answered.

"Good. This way those snakes won't abuse their power." Ron commented. "I don't even know why Dumbledore would give Slytherins power."

"Won't you ever read 'Hogwarts, a History', Ron?" Hermione asked in exasperation. "Each House must have prefects."

"I don't know why Death Eater wannabes would be allowed a chance to attend Hogwarts." Ron ranted.

"House affiliation doesn't define a Death Eater, Ron." Harry argued. "Don't you remember Peter Pettigrew?"

"That was a fluke." Ron said. "Evil wizards coming from Slytherin is the norm."

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for disrespecting Slytherin, Weasley." Draco Malfoy declared as he suddenly appeared.

"Prefects cannot dock points from students other than those from their respective Houses, Malfoy." Sirius Black intervened.

"I was joking, Siri… Professor Black." Draco Malfoy tried to defuse the situation.

"Two points from Slytherin for abusing Prefect power, Malfoy." Sirius declared.

"I said I was joking, Professor Black." Malfoy whined.

"And that's why I didn't dock five points, Malfoy." Sirius explained. Malfoy wisely decided not to say anything else.

With no further trouble, students and teachers made it to school. During his welcoming speech, Albus Dumbledore expressed pleasure that, for once, they didn't need to replace the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. "Harry, do you think Snape would finally take the job if Sirius left it?" Ron asked.

"I hope not." Harry answered. "Let's just pray that he's not the one teaching students how to apparate."

"No, Harry." Ron explained. "Those lessons are taught by instructors sent by the Ministry."

"Phew." Harry was really glad Snape wouldn't be the teacher in charge of teaching how to apparate.

 **End chapter. Sorry it's short.**


	5. The Prince's Lesson

**Chapter 5: The Prince's Lesson**

Harry Potter and his friends were readying themselves for their first lessons as sixth year students. "I'm reading the potions book so Snape won't have any excuse to dock points from me." Ron commented.

" _Professor_ Snape, Ron." Hermione sternly replied.

Harry then noticed something odd with Ron's copy of Advanced Potion Making. "Ron, did you use a quill from the twins to write your name at the book?" He asked.

"Yes, mate." Ron was amazed at how Harry noticed that. "How did you know?"

"It was either that or you changed your name to 'Roonil Wazlib', Ron." Harry explained.

"What?" Ron asked in shock. "Stupid twins. I should have known."

"You'd better erase that before Snape docks points from you for not knowing how to write your own name." Harry jokingly suggested. Ron, however, took it seriously. Given Snape's character, who could blame him?

Meanwhile, Professor Snape was sneaking in the new office Sirius Black was given to protect him from the curse on the Defense position. "What do you think you're doing, Snivellus?" Sirius asked in a mixture of mockery and anger.

"Just making sure you're not up to any stupid pranks, Black." Snape answered with his usual sneer.

"I am a Marauder, Snivellus." Sirius explained. "My pranks are not stupid."

"Says you." Snape replied.

"And everyone with good taste for pranks." Sirius added. "Either way, you should be more careful about sneaking upon someone who had Auror training from Alastor Moody, Snivellus. Now, be a nice Death Eater pretending repentance and prepare your own lesson plans."

As Snape arrogantly huffed and left, Sirius shouted "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" and was disappointed Snape wasn't showing any signs of being startled. Snape left Sirius' office under the impression it was a good thing for Harry Potter to be raised by the Dursleys than by Black. A few hours later, Sirius Black taught the sixth years. "The Dark Arts are complex and that makes even harder to defend against them." He said. "Does anyone know the advantage of using nonverbal spells?" He noticed some students raising their hands. "Ms. Granger?"

"If your opponent doesn't hear you casting the spell, they won't know what's coming." She answered.

"Correct!" Sirius happily exclaimed. "10 points to Gryffindor." He then addressed the whole class. "As Ms. Granger here explained, that's the advantage of nonverbal casting. However, I believe a practical demonstration is in order. Any volunteers?" After identifying the volunteers, Sirius picked two of them. "Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Greengrass, approach."

"Why not calling any Gryffindors, Professor Black?" Ron asked out of a desire to defeat Draco Malfoy.

"For safety purposes, I'd rather keep the duels intra-house, Mr. Weasley." Sirius explained.

"Intra-what?" Ron asked in confusion.

"Professor Black meant between members of a same house, Ron." Hermione explained.

"Correct." Sirius replied and then talked to the two Slytherin volunteers. "Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Greengrass, I want you to duel against each other using nonverbal spells. Unforgivables and all lethal forms of magic are prohibited. Begin!"

A few minutes later, Draco Malfoy seemed to have defeated Daphne Greengrass with a jelly-legs jinx. "Congratulations, Mr. Malfoy." Sirius complimented Draco out of somewhat forced politeness. "Now, does anyone know how someone might have identified the nonverbal spells before their targets showed signs of how they were affected?" Some students raised their hands. Not wanting to be accused of denying Slytherins a chance to earn points, Sirius decided to pick one of them this time. "Mr. Zabini?"

"The wand movements could serve as a clue, Sir." Blaise Zabini suggested.

"Good suggestion." Sirius reluctantly said. "10 points to Slytherin. Anybody else?"

Hermione raised her hand. "Ms. Granger?"

"We could read the opponent's lips, Professor Black." Hermione answered.

"I've heard of lip reading from some Muggleborn year mates of mine but I never heard of anyone with this ability. Do you know the names of anyone who can read lips, Ms. Granger?" Sirius asked.

"Unfortunately not, Sir." Hermione sadly replied.

"Then let's not take for granted that it'll work, Ms. Granger." Sirius said to her dismay. Some Slytherins snickered. "For our next lesson, I want all of you to practice nonverbal casting."

Later on, there was time for the sixth years to have their first Potions lesson. In spite of the educational decree forcing Professor Snivellus to accept every student who got at least an Exceeds Expectations in their Potions O.W.L.s, all qualified students fit into only one classroom. There were several potions at Snape's table. "Congratulations to all students who managed to get an Outstanding and thus earn your spots in this class." Professor Snape said. "Let's just hope your performance won't be impaired by those who wouldn't be here without stupid bullies pulling strings." Snape then showed the potions and told the students to identify them by means of their sense of smell. Afterwards, he told a tale about his predecessor. "Back when Professor Slughorn was Hogwarts' Potions Master, he'd ask the sixth years to prepare batches of Draught of Living Death and the student who made the best batch would receive a vial of Felix Felicis. Of course, he wouldn't expect a sixth year student to make a perfect batch within one hour and I won't either. Now I order each one of you to make a batch of Draught of Living Death. Now!"

Out of a desire to get Felix Felicis, the students hurried themselves into making the draught. The Slytherin students, having previously received a private lesson from Professor Snape, they knew his ways to improve it like the fact that crushing the Sophophorous Beans with a silver dagger instead of cutting them produced more juice. Draco Malfoy was declared the winner and Professor Snape granted 10 points to Slytherin. "What about the Felix Felicis, Sir?" Draco asked.

"I never said _I'd_ give it to the winner, did I?" Snape maliciously asked. The relief the Gryffindors felt from Malfoy not getting the luck potion wasn't enough to keep them from becoming upset for the wasted effort. "Anyway, the use of that potion in tests or any sorts of competitions is strictly forbidden and punishments for breaking that rule are severe." He warned with a frown.

 **End chapter.**


	6. Another Quidditch Season Begins

**Chapter 6: Another Quidditch Season Begins**

Harry Potter was doing homework when his Godfather suddenly showed up. "Terrible news, Prongslet!"

"What's wrong, Professor?" Harry asked out of concern.

"There's no need to go professional with me, Prongslet." Sirius stated. "No matter how much I tried, Minnie wouldn't make you Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team."

"OK." Harry simply said. Unlike Sirius, he didn't see it as a big deal. Sure, he liked Quidditch but not to the point of caring for captaincy.

Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing. "OK? OK? Harry, this is Quidditch we're talking about!" He exclaimed. "You should be coveting that position above anything else at Hogwarts!"

"I already have too much to do without this extra responsibility." Harry easily dismissed the idea of becoming the team's captain. "Especially being a Prefect." He then noticed Sirius' reaction. "You didn't try to make me lose that position, did you?"

"Well, I might have told Minnie that you'd honor your _real_ father better by being a Quidditch team captain instead of a Prefect, Prongslet." Sirius sheepishly confessed.

"You do remember both him and my _birth_ mother were Head Boy and Head Girl, correct?" Harry was becoming angry.

"Yes, Minnie did bring this up as counter-argument." Sirius answered with a weak smile.

"The more I get to know you, the more grateful I am to the Dursleys for raising me as their son." Harry commented to Sirius' displeasure.

The conversation was interrupted by Angelina Johnson, who showed up to pick Harry for the Quidditch tryouts. "Go get those snakes, Prongslet!" Sirius was excited enough to forget his sadness.

Meanwhile, Hermione Granger was at the library to study for her N.E.W.T.s. Sure, the sixth year had just began for her and those exams would take place at the end of her seventh but, for all her intelligence, she didn't grasp the concept of "too soon". "Shouldn't you be watching your fellow lions trying to get spots at the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, Ms. Granger?" Someone suddenly asked.

Hermione was startled. "Professor Snape? Well, I'm not that interested in Quidditch."

"You sound more like a Ravenclaw than a Gryffindor." Snape commented with a grunt. "Then again, you're not the first raven in a lion's skin I ever knew." He said and then left so Hermione spent a good time wondering who he was talking about.

Later on, Sirius Black was at Dumbledore's office. "Albus, you must do something." He pleaded. "Prongslet doesn't want to be the team's captain."

"It's not wrong to admit not to be ready for an extra responsibility, Sirius." The Headmaster calmly explained.

"Prongs would never refuse the captaincy!" Sirius protested.

"Harry Potter is not his father, Mr. Black." Professor McGonagall sternly replied. "Honestly, you're no different than Severus on that regard."

"You dare compare me to _Snivellus_?" Sirius was outraged.

"Both of you are obsessed with comparing Mr. Potter to his father." McGonagall stated her point. "Harry Potter isn't James Potter."

"I can't let him become a mini-Vernon." Sirius pleaded. "Sure, Dursley can't be faulted for being a muggle but it doesn't excuse him for being so dull. If he had his way, Prongslet would never pull a prank."

"You say it like it's a bad thing." McGonagall commented. While she actually missed James' pranks and had a special place for him at her heart, she had an official position to maintain.

Meanwhile, at the Quidditch field, the Keeper applicants were about to be tested when Harry interrupted them. "Wait!" He shouted and then pointed his wand at a seemingly empty spot. "Accio invisibility cloak!" Draco Malfoy was then revealed to be hidden beneath one of those cloaks.

"A slimy snake?" McLaggen sneered. "What should we do to him? Potter, did your godfather teach you any nasty hexes we could use?"

"Can't we just hand him over to Professor McGonagall and hope she'll give him detention for the rest of his school life?" Harry suggested.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Potter." Professor Snape replied as he suddenly appeared. "Five points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy, and you'll serve detention with me. You'll report to my office at seven o'clock PM to help me grade essays by lower years'." If not for Snape's secret fear of Sirius, which will probably earn you a detention for bringing it up in front of him even if you're not a Hogwarts student, he'd punish Harry for suggesting a cruel punishment to Malfoy.

"Well, at least Malfoy won't get away with this." Ron commented after Snape and Draco left.

"But I wonder how much of his frustration he'll take on the students whose essays he'll grade." Harry replied in worry. Everyone within his hearing range was agreeing that it was something Malfoy and Snape would do.

Eventually, it was time for the so-awaited Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game. As the second-best Keeper to apply for the position at the Gryffindor Team, Ron Weasley got the position because the team definitely didn't want Cormac McLaggen back in. The only reason McLaggen wasn't openly booing them was because it'd be taken as support for Slytherin's team and he still was too much of a Gryffindor for that.

Gryffindor scored the game's first ten points within the first four minutes. After the game restarted, the same Chaser who scored that goal was 'accidentally' mistaken for a Bludger by a Slytherin Beater. "Foul!" Hufflepuff student/Quidditch commentator Zacharias Smith shouted from his booth. "I knew those slimy snakes were foul but even I didn't expect them to be this much. Let's kill those bas…"

"MR. SMITH, I UNDERSTAND YOUR SENTIMENTS BUT THERE'S A CERTAIN LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM REQUIRED FOR YOUR POSITION!" Professor McGonagall shouted. If not for Smith's fear of McGonagall, he'd tell her to 'tell it to Lee Jordan'.

Unfortunately, the Gryffindor Quidditch Team was at a disadvantage because their current Beaters weren't good enough to Weasley-twin-level and that made it harder for their Chasers to score. By the time Harry Potter caught the Golden Snitch, Slytherin was winning by 80 – 20. Fortunately, that still made Gryffindor win by 170 – 80. "Gryffindor! Gryffindor! Gryffindor! Gryffindor!" The fans were shouting and were so loud McLaggen's grumble of 'Slytherin wouldn't have scored so many goals if I were their Keeper'.

In spite of her happiness, Professor McGonagall managed to remain professional during the celebrations. Especially in comparison to Sirius Black, who kept pointing at Snape's face and saying "In your face, Snivellus!"

 **End chapter.**


	7. Hufflepuff's Hero

**Chapter 7: Hufflepuff's Hero**

Ron Weasley was basking on his glory when he heard someone calling him. "Weasley?" It was Cormac McLaggen. "What do you want, McLaggen?" Ron asked in annoyance.

"Are you interested on winning a bet?" McLaggen asked.

"What do I have to do?" Ron eagerly asked in reply.

McLaggen showed him a box. "Just eat these doxy eggs, Weasley."

"Are you barmy?" Ron asked in protest. "What if I get sick and don't recover on time for the match against Hufflepuff?"

"You win the bet and I give you ten galleons." McLaggen offered.

Ten galleons and fifteen minutes later, Ron Weasley was a patient at Madam Pomfrey's infirmary. "Any chances he'll recover on time for the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match, Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked.

"No way, Mr. Potter." The mediwitch answered. "What was Mr. Weasley thinking when he ate those eggs?"

"Ten galleons are worth it." He weakly declared. Ron firmly believed it but was too weak to show it.

"Now who'll be our keeper for the game?" Angelina asked in desperation.

"I'm here, you know." Cormac McLaggen replied.

"That's what you wanted when you dared Weasley to eat those eggs. Wasn't it, McLaggen?" Angelina Johnson accused McLaggen.

"Weasley could have refused the bet." McLaggen refuted the accusation.

"And miss a chance to get ten galleons?" Ron asked in reply. "Not a chance."

Reluctantly, Ron's teammates accepted Cormac McLaggen as their substitute. "Congratulations, Hufflepuff." Malfoy mocked. "Now that Gryffindor got McLaggen to play as their Keeper, your victory is assured."

"Not yet, Malfoy." Harry replied. "Gryffindor still needs you as Seeker to guarantee Hufflepuff's victory."

Every non-Slytherin felt like applauding Harry for the retort at Draco Malfoy. Even Cormac McLaggen. Professor Snape would like nothing better than to dock points from Gryffindor for this but he knew Sirius Black would gladly dock an even bigger number of points from Slytherin for Draco mocking McLaggen.

Harry Potter spent a good time practicing for the game. When the day arrived, Keeper McLaggen was more concerned about how his teammates do their work than doing his. That caused Hufflepuff to win by 260 – 20. "A toast to Hufflepuff's Hero Cormac McLaggen." Malfoy mockingly said. Everyone was sure McLaggen would never be allowed to forget it.

A few minutes later, McLaggen was at the hospital wing. "Were you hit with the bludgers, McLaggen?" Ron asked.

"He wishes." Angelina Johnson said in disdain. "That idiot just wanted to tell us how to do our jobs. Everyone wanted to have a go at him. Even the Hufflepuffs were upset over their easy victory."

"Do you still think the ten galleons were worth it, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Yes, mate." Ron giddily answered. " _Ten_ galleons. And you could have picked someone else instead of McLaggen."

"Or played without any Keepers." Harry suggested. "Even that would be better."

"Hey!" McLaggen protested but changed his mind when the others glared at him.

"I'll check the rule book to see if that's allowed." Johnson said.

Not wanting to think about McLaggen was another reason for Harry to want to spend Christmas at the Dursleys'. "Happy Christmas, Harry!" Vernon and Petunia said.

"Happy Christmas, Mum. Happy Christmas, Dad." Harry replied and then they exchanged gifts. Suddenly, they heard the doorbell. "Are we expecting visitors, Dad?" Harry asked.

"Unfortunately, Harry." Vernon grunted as he checked. "Welcome, Sirius."

"Hi, Dursleys." Vernon half-heartedly said and then looked at Harry. "Prongslet, aren't you excited at seeing your favorite godfather?"

"I see you every day at school, Sirius." Harry replied without any enthusiasm.

"Anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy my gift to you." Sirius happily said as he gave Harry a package. "It'll be useful whenever you make McLaggen pay for making your team lose the game against Hufflepuff."

"I don't want to think about that pathetic excuse for a Keeper, Sirius, but thanks for the gift anyway." Harry replied as he un-wrapped the gift to find a prank set.

"Still encouraging Harry to play pranks, Sirius?" Petunia asked in dismay and irritation.

"Prongslet only has a few months left before becoming an adult in the Wizarding World." Sirius pleaded. "The consequences for getting caught afterwards will be more severe."

"Are the students still giving that McLaggen boy a hard time over his Quidditch blunder, Harry?" Vernon asked out of mild curiosity.

"Do people still need their blood to live, Dad?" Harry replied.

"Good one, Prongslet!" Sirius commented while laughing. "Prankster or not, you _do_ have a sense of humor."

 **End chapter and a belated Merry Christmas.**


	8. Still a Hero

**Chapter 8: Still a "Hero"**

After the Christmas season passed, Harry expected his fellow lions to have grown tired of harassing Cormac McLaggen over his latest Quidditch blunder. "Feeling better, Ron?"

"Yes, Harry." Ron answered.

"I hope you feel good enough to play Gryffindor's next Quidditch match." Fellow sixth-year Dean Thomas replied. "You mustn't allow Hufflepuff's Hero a chance to become Ravenclaw's Hero."

Yeah, Harry's hopes were in vain.

To make things worse for the Gryffindors, their next lesson was Potions, which meant Professor Snivellus. For that lesson, he reminded the students that a mixture of poisons wouldn't necessarily be neutralized by a mixture of the specific antidotes each individual poison could be countered by. Snape then gave each student a flask with a different poison mixture and tasked the students with identifying their respective poisons and come up with the proper antidotes. "No bezoars allowed." Snape 'suddenly' added to the dismay of students who, remembering that bezoars served as antidotes, were planning to get some from the cupboard. Most non-Slytherins were sure Professor Snape already told the Slytherin students which poisons each one would receive. Not having a certain Prince's book, Harry Potter relied on what he studied from a regular copy of Advanced Potion Making and what else he knew about identifying a potion. In spite of this, he actually made the proper antidote mix. Failing to notice anything wrong with Harry's work, Professor Snape begrudgingly said "Five points to Gryffindor."

The non-Slytherins smiled at Snape's misfortune of granting Gryffindor points. Especially because it was Harry Potter who received the points. Snape obviously gave each Slytherin in attendance five points as well. "Now, as I hope you remember, I forbade the use of bezoars. One of my reasons for this is the fact this assignment was to see how good each one of you are with mixing antidotes. Another one is that, while bezoars serve as antidote for most poisons, their use is normally reserved for when one doesn't have the specific antidote available and there are poisons they don't work against. Now, I'll ask each one of you if your respective poison mixture could be countered by a bezoar and give you _one_ chance to answer. Each incorrect answer will result on a five-point-loss."

Harry and Hermione, of course, were among the students who got points for that. Ron lost points. Most Slytherins gained points as well. The others merely didn't try to answer. "You didn't deduct points from the snakes who didn't answer." Ron said with a smile.

"Did I say I'd deduct points from those who'd not answer, Weasley?" Snape asked with a glare.

"You said you'd dock points from students who gave incorrect answers, Sir." Ron answered. He added the 'Sir' part out of fear.

"They didn't give incorrect answers, Weasley."

"They didn't even answer."

"I never said anything about docking points for not answering."

"That's unfair!" Ron protested.

"It discourages students from guessing with multiple-choice questions." Snape defended his decision. Some students agreed it was a good idea. Not that they'd openly admit it.

Afterwards, everyone was thinking about the upcoming Slytherin versus Ravenclaw Quidditch match and the Gryffindors unfortunately wanted the Slytherins to win because a Slytherin victory would keep things balanced among the four teams while a Ravenclaw victory would give them a huge advantage for the last turn of the school's Quidditch season. Another thing to blame Hufflepuff's Hero for.

When the day of the game arrived, the Gryffindor's team main reason to watch it was to study Ravenclaw's tactics. Gryffindor certainly wouldn't cheer for Ravenclaw when their victory would make it harder for the lions to win the championship and wouldn't cheer for the Slytherins any time. "Where's Hermione, Harry?" Ron asked.

"She's at the commentator's booth, Ron." Harry answered.

"What?" Ron was shocked. "She doesn't even care about Quidditch."

"Which is the reason Professor McGonagall deemed her the perfect student for the position." Harry explained. "She's the least likely to lose the professionalism that doesn't seem to be found at students who commented past matches."

Two minutes after the game started, a Slytherin Beater sent a bludger towards the Ravenclaw Seeker. "Close call." Hermione said and then made a comment that made it unclear if she thought the beater intended to hit the seeker or not.

"Is she blind?" Ron asked in astonishment. "It's obvious that slimy snake was trying to cheat. That's what they do."

"She's being neutral, which was what Professor McGonagall expected." Harry explained.

After scoring twice, both occasions being a result of Slytherin fouls, Ravenclaw caught the Golden Snitch, winning the match by 170-10. "Man, now we'll have to beat Ravenclaw like we never did before to have a chance of winning the cup." Ron commented in dismay.

Upon returning to his bedchambers, Cormac McLaggen found his bed decorated in Hufflepuff style. "Who did this?" He angrily asked.

"The proper question is: Who didn't?" A roommate replied. "You're Hufflepuff's Hero and nobody in Gryffindor will let you forget it."

"The others weren't doing their jobs properly." McLaggen protested and the othes ignored him.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter was reading a law book. "Harry?" Ron was shocked. "Why are you reading a book what isn't for our classes?"

"If I'm going to head the Department of Magical Law Enforcement someday, I must know the laws to be enforced." Harry explained.

"Wouldn't you rather become an Auror, Prongslet?" Sirius Black asked as he suddenly showed up. "I'm glad you want to make sure the injustice I suffered won't happen again but there's no need to take a monotonous job because of that. Those Dursleys have too much of an influence on you."

"They're my parents and what's wrong with a monotonous job?" Harry asked in protest.

"Those jobs are for people who can't do anything more exciting, Prongslet." Sirius said. "You're meant for more exciting things like being an Auror or playing professional Quidditch."

"Once again, I'm glad to live with Mum and Dad." Harry stated, making Sirius sad.

 **End chapter.**


	9. The Sixth Year Ends

**Chapter 9: The Sixth Year Ends**

After Harry returned from his parents' home, where he spent the Easter Holidays, he was ready for the lessons and the Quidditch training. Fortunately, Ronald Weasley was already back in action and the Gryffindor team wouldn't need to rely on Cormac "Hufflepuff's Hero" McLaggen again. "Ready to show some ravens how to play Quidditch, Prongslet?" Sirius eagerly asked.

"I sure am, Sirius!" Harry happily replied.

"Professor Black, Harry." Hermione corrected him.

"Prongslet doesn't need to be so formal with me, Ms. Granger." Sirius explained. "I believe Snivellus allows Malfoy to call him Severus or _Unca Sevvie_."

"Are you comparing yourself to Professor Snivellus and Malfoy to me?" Harry maliciously asked.

"Uh, I suppose so." Sirius sadly answered.

"Professor Black, which questions will be asked at the end-of-year exams?" Ron eagerly asked.

"Why would I tell you?" Sirius asked. Ron was one of the few students to make him seem mature by comparison.

"So I could pass and become an Auror." Ron explained.

"Do you think Death Eaters will give a detailed list of hexes and jinxes they'll use before each battle?" Sirius asked in exasperation. He was afraid for the Auror Corps' future if they're desperate enough to accept Ron Weasley.

"Honestly, Ron." Hermione was just as exasperated. "We already discussed it."

"Do you think Snape doesn't give such help to those snakes of his?" Ron accused.

"Snivellus might have more defects than I bother to count, most of them based on his looks, but even the greasy git knows better than to think it'd be helpful." Sirius found himself at the arduous task of his third most hated person. The two most hated being Wormtail and Voldemort.

Dejected, Ron went back to his dorm room to do something he hated the most: studying. Two minutes later, Harry showed up and told Ron that they had to report to the Quidditch field to practice for the next game. Suddenly, Ron practically forgot what studying was. He showed himself a great keeper. "Good." The captain said. "I'm glad we won't need McLaggen for the next game."

Speaking of the devil, Cormac McLaggen showed up. "When will it be my turn?"

"When pigs fly without magic." The captain answered.

"My father will hear about this." McLaggen threatened.

"Shut up, Malfoy, I mean McLaggen." Harry replied. "Sorry, but that talk about using your father's name can be quite misleading."

"I didn't come here to be compared to slimy snakes." McLaggen protested.

"Then where do you usually go to get that comparison?" Harry mockingly asked, prompting several bouts of laughter.

McLaggen then drew his wand in a threatening position. "I should…"

"Leave the field and return to the Gryffindor Common Room before further humiliation occurs, Mr. McLaggen?" Professor McGonagall asked as she showed up to watch the practice. "And be glad the Hogwarts charter forbids the use of transfiguration as punishment."

After McGonagall and McLaggen left, training resumed. "So, do I try to catch the Golden Snitch as soon as I can or do I wait until we're ahead enough it'll make us beat the Ravenclaws for the Quidditch Cup?" Harry asked.

"As soon as you can." The captain replied. "Winning the Cup isn't worth the risk of a further humiliation if we lose two matches instead of only one."

Two days later, Sirius Black returned from another board meeting. The smirk on his face meant bad news. For Snape, at least. Sirius approached the headmaster with a parchment. "Headmaster Dumbledore, I hereby inform you that the Board of Governors has declared that no first year student should be required to brew any sort of potion until the Potions Master has properly instructed them on basic safety precautions. All board members signed it."

"You had something to do with it, Black." Snape angrily accused Sirius. The students were amused. They always loved the Sirius versus Snape confrontations at the Great Hall. Except for the Slytherins cheering for Snape, of course.

"Well, their opinion _might_ have been influenced by my report on how the number of cauldrons melted by first year students increased after Potions Master Slughorn retired and his successor decided to discontinue his policy of fully evaluating the first years during their first potions lesson." Sirius acknowledged. "I did it for the betterment of the students and to highlight your incompetence. Each motive is good enough by itself."

Even Harry Potter, who couldn't stand Sirius Black whenever the dog Animagus made it clear what he thought about Harry considering the Dursleys as parents was among the students who applauded Sirius. "You'll pay for this, Black." Snape declared.

"Use the money to buy a new face, Snivellus, or at least a better haircut." Sirius teased.

The next day, it was time for the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match. In spite of what the Gryffindor team originally intended to do, the Ravenclaw Seeker's efforts to block Harry might leave him with no choice but to wait for a moment when catching the Golden Snitch will not only make Gryffindor win the match but also place them ahead of Ravenclaw for the cup. Fortunately, Weasley was being Gryffindor's "King" instead of Ravenclaw's. Thanks to the last goal Gryffindor scored seconds before Harry caught the snitch, the two houses were tied for first place, meaning the two teams would have to play a new match to set a winner unless Hufflepuff or Slytherin scored enough points to surpass them. No chance of that ever happening. "Nice catch, Prongslet." Sirius complimented his godson after the players landed. "I knew what the rules said about draws but I never thought I'd see it happening."

"I'm just as surprised as you are." Harry replied.

As expected, neither of the other teams scored enough to catch up (Slytherin won, by the way) and Gryffindor and Ravenclaw played a new match. It went pretty much like the previous one and Gryffindor won the cup. The next day, there was the end-of-year feast and the students graduating that year received their diplomas. Among them, Cormac McLaggen was the only one who didn't receive any applause from his housemates. "Even the Hufflepuffs won't applaud their "hero"." One of the fifth year Gryffindors commented. The year ended with the Headmaster announcing the House Cup results and pleased that Gryffindor won.

One train ride later, Harry was meeting his parents at King's Cross Station. "Do you think you'll get your license, son?" Vernon eagerly asked.

"I'm certain I will, Dad." Harry happily replied.

"Me too, Prongslet." Sirius said not only out of genuine hope but also of a desire to be a part of Harry's life.

 **End year.**


End file.
